DEBOLINA ROY
Among the most helpful home habits in terms of lessening the load on cognition is the five-minute sweep of the space right before shifting gears from work to unwinding. The way this works is by clearing off the surfaces around you, this means the kitchen counter top or the desk, removing the visual noise that’s vying for any given attention.
Creating designated zones in your home where technology is not welcome, like at the dining table or in the bedroom, is a basic principle of healthy home living. Draw a line where technology use ends, thus reducing the exhaustion of a dopamine reward cycle as well as allowing your nervous system to recharge.
Developing a routine of opening all the blinds when waking and turning on the lights two hours prior to beginning your sleep cycle helps your body clock synchronize with the sun. This practice eliminates the difficulty in ignoring your body's desire to sleep.
Engaging in home habits with a sensual component, such as making a cup of tea, watering a few houseplants, and sitting in silence for five minutes, gives the brain a pattern interrupt. These activities challenge the individual to switch from thinking in abstractions into their physical bodies.
One of the major contributors to the feeling of burnout by 7:00 PM is decision fatigue. To combat this, automate your evening choices by prepping your meals or choosing your outfit the night before.